Clothes-rack.



No. 67| 966. Patented A lI I9 J. L. KERsTETTEn. pr' 6 0L CLTHES RACK.

(Application led July 2, 1900.) (nu Model.)

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Y a l 0, l r if UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. KERSTETTER, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTH ES-RAC K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,966, dated April 16, 1901.

Application 'lled July 2, 1900.

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, JAMES L. KERSTETTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean .and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Rack, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clothes-racks of that class which comprehend a post or standard pendent from the ceiling or other overhead support for the reception of a movable carriage provided with means for raising and lowering the carriage and with a series of radiating arms for the reception of clothes to be dried or of articles of apparel and the like, if the rack is intended for the purpose of displaying goods for sale.

The object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device of this character embodying. means for supporting the lower end of the post or standard in a manner to permit the lower` foldable end of the latter to be moved into alinement with the upper section of the post to facilitate the 'movement of the carriage and to be folded back into an unobtrusive position after the carrier has been lled and elevated to a point at or adjacent to the upper end of the post.

To the accomplishment of these and other objects the invention consists in constructing the post or standard in a plurality of relatively movable sections, preferably two in number, and in slidably connecting the lower extremity ofthe post to a horizontal postsupporting arm hinged or otherwise pivotally connected to the Wall or other vertical support and designed to support the lower end of the post with the post-sections in alinement or to retain the lower end of the post in its deflected position at or adjacent to the wall.

The invention further consists in certain details of construction and arrangement, which willAmore fully appear hereinafter and which will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings and succinctly dened iu the appended claims. I

In said drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my clothes-rack complete, showing the hinged arm or lever supporting the sections of the post in vertical alinement to facilitate the dropping of the carriage to its lowest position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view Serial No. 22,329. (No model.)

ofthe subject-matter of Fig. l, but showing the hinged arm thrown back against the wall to retain the lower section of the post in its deflected position after the carriage has been filled and elevated.

Referring to the numerals of reference employed to designate corresponding parts in both views, l indicates the ceiling or other overhead support from which is pendent the post or standard of my device. In accordance with my invention the post is composed of an upper stationary section 2, having a hinged connection at its lower end with the upper end of the lower movable post-section 3. These sections are designed to be located in axial alinement for the purpose of facilitating the movement of a carrier from end to end of the post, and the hinge connection between the post-sections is therefore preferably formed by recessing the lower end of the upper section 2 for the reception of a terminal tongue 4 upon the adjacent end of the section 3, a transverse pintle 5 being passed through the recessed end of one section and through the tongue of the other. Obviously, however, this joint might be formed in various other ways, the only essential characteristic of this feature being a iexible joint permitting relative movement of connected post y members or sections. The carriage designed for movement upon the post is composed of a sleeve or -hub 6, fitting slidably upon the post and having an integral annular enlargement 7 at its center provided with a series of peripheral recesses or sockets 8 for the reception of the inner ends of a series of radiating rods or arms 9, which constitute the rack proper and are designed for the support of the clothes to be dried or displayed, as the case may be. The hub and its enlargement constituting the carriage proper are preferably turned from a single block of Wood or other inexpensive material; bu't,rif desired, the construction of the carriage may be variously elaborated to suit the tastes of the individual manufacturer or to adapt the device for use in a laundry, where it is employed as a clothes-rack, or for the somewhat more conspicuous use in a show-window, if the device is intended for employment as a displayrack.

The carriage in its lowest position, as shown IOO in Fig. 1 of the drawings, rests upon a stop 10, projecting from the post adjacent to its lower end, and for the purpose of effecting the elevation or depression of the carriage as desired a carriage-operating cable l1 is preferably provided. The cable 1l is connected at one end to a loop 12, which extends vertically through the annular enlargement 7 at points diametrically opposite and passes around the opposite sides of the hub 6 above and below said enlargement. This arrangement of the loop 12 is intended to establish a connection with the cable at two points upon the carrier located in diametrical relation with the axis of the post. Ata pointintermedate of its ends the carriage-operating cable 1l is passed over a pulley 13 or an equivalent supporting and guiding device located adjacent to the upper end of the post, and its free end is then brought down alongside of the post and is preferably passed through a vertical opening 14:, formed in the annular enlargement of the carriage, as best seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The carriage, with its supported clothes folded over the bars 9, is elevated from the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings to the upper end of the post, as shown in Fig. 2, by a pull upon the lower end of the cable, which is then secured by taking one or two turns around a cable-fastening device 15, mounted at any suitable point, but preferably at the lower extremity of the post. The fastening device 15 is the preferred form of cable-retaining means and comprises a concavo-convex disk secured by an axial screw and with its convex face disposed against the support.

The construction thus far described comprehends a complete embodiment of my invention in its broadest aspect, since the sectional construction of the post permits the lower member or section 3 thereof to be folded out of the way and secured by any suitable means after the carriage has been drawn up. I have pursued the development of the invention still further, however, and have provided a post supporting and actuating arm or lever 16, hinged at one end to the wall or other vertical support 17, as by a hinge 1S, and provided upon its under side with an elongated keeper 19 for the slidable retention of a horizontal connecting-pin 20, extending from the lower extremity of the post-section 3 and having a right-angular extremity 21, between which and the post the free end of the hinged arm 16 is positioned when the sections of the post are alined. 22 indicates a notch or rest formed in the under face of the arm 16 adjacent to the outer end of the keeper 19 for the reception of the connecting-pin 20, the location of the pin within this notch and the location of the free end of the arm between the post and the vertical end 21 serving to rigidly retain the lower end of the post while the carriage is being raised or lowered thereon.

The relation of the lower and inner extremity of the keeper 19 with respect to the hinge 18 and of the pin 2O with respect to the pintle 5 is such that when the post-section 3 and the arm 16 are in parallel relation the pin and the end of the keeper will be in such close contact as will necessitate slight relative yielding,r of the parts to permit the assumption of an angular relation between the arm and movable post-section through the continued movement or swinging of the arm. This slight yielding of the parts is accommodated by both the piu 20 and the keeper 19, the purpose of this binding action being to cause the hinged arm when swung up to be retained against gravitaion by the relation which it bears to the connected end of the post. It will now appear that while the postsections may be alined for the purpose of facilitating the raising or lowering of the carriage the movable section of the post is designed to be swung back to the wall into au unobtrusive position by the elevation of the arm 16 from a horizontal position to a position against the wall, as shown in Fig. 2, the weight of the carriage serving to impose a strain upon the cable 11 which will tend to retain the arm 16 and the movable postsection 3 in their folded positions. It will be obvious, furthermore, that when the lower or movable post-section is moved out of alinement with the upper section it will prevent the gravitation of the elevated carriage below the connection between the sections. It should be understood, however, that while the present embodiment of my invention appears at this time to be preferable I do not wish to limit myself to the structural details defined, as it is obvious that many changes, variations, and modifications might be effected without departing from the spirit thereof.

1. In a rack, the combination with a post composed of stationary and movable sections normally in alinement, of a carriage arranged to slide upon the post, and means for moving the movable section of the post laterally to a position which will prevent movement of the carriage beyond the connection between the post-sections.

2. In a rack, the combination with a pendent post comprising a stationary upper section and a laterallymovable lower section normally in alinement, of a carriage arranged to slide upon the post, means for operating the carriage, an actuating member mounted independently of the post and means for effecting a movable connection between said member and the movable post-section to permit said movable post-section to be moved to a deilected position.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a post comprising a movable post-section and acarriage movable upon the post, of a stationary support separate from the post, an arm having a pivotal connection with said support, and means op- IOO eratively connecting the free ends of the arm and movable post-section to permit the delection of the post-section through the movement of the arm.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a carriage, of a post comprising a laterallymovable section, a hinged arm supported independently of the post, an elongated' keeper carried by said arm, and a connecting device carried by .the post and engaging said keeper.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a pendent post comprising a hinged section, of an independentlyhinged arm having operative engagement with the hinged post-section, a carriage movable upon the post, andmeans for operating the carriage.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a post comprising a stationary section and a laterally-movable section hinged thereto and designed to be alined therewith, of an independently-hinged arm normally extending at right angles to the post, an elongated keeper on the arm, a conmeeting-pin carried at the free extremity `of the hinged post-section and engaging the keeper, a carriage slidably mounted upon the post, and a cable arranged for the operation of the carriage. l

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a post comprising a stationary pendent section and a movable section hinged thereto, of a hinged arm provided with an elongated keeper and with a rest adjacent to its free extremity, an angular connecting-pin extending from the free extremity of the hinged post-section and extending into the keeper for engagement with the rest of the hinged arm, a carriage slidably mounted upon the post, and means for operating the carriage.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

JAMES L. KERSTETTER.

Witnesses:

JAMES MILLER, CEAS. A. SANBORN. 

